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A History of Historical Superheroes and Masked Vigilantes

clarkirvine

July 4, 2024

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In the words of Doug Walker, superheroes have become today’s equivalent of gods and demigods. The mythology surrounding superheroes, from the masked vigilantes, evil arch-villains to kid sidekicks, have become a staple in popular culture, made more popular by the rise of Marvel and DC movies.

But what people don’t know is that throughout history, there have been individuals who have donned costumes and disguises, in order to fight crime and injustice. These masked men from yesteryear actually went on to inspire the costumed crime fighters we know of today.

In this article, let’s list down five examples of real life historical crime fighters born from the 19th century and learn more about their exploits.

5. San Diego Vigilantes

During the frontier days when law was weak, people put the law into their own hands. When an Old West town or city was beset by roving bandits and bloodthirsty gunfighters, it wasn’t always the lawmen who stopped them. What these criminals really feared were the lynchers, who oftentimes outmanned the police. Over 600+ people were lynched in the Wild West following the Civil War. Masks provided these vigilantes the protection to do their deed.

One of the first recorded incidents of masked vigilantism happened in San Diego, California in July 1878. One night, a criminal by the name of Refugio Baca was locked up in a holding cell, when he heard a group of people storming the jail. The people, numbering between 20-30 men, wore masks and carried firearms as they forced their way in. With the lawmen powerless, Baca was then taken away to a cottonwood tree where he was hanged. In that same year, they became responsible for the lynching of two more outlaws.

This kind of masked vigilantism in the Old West was far more prevalent than people knew them to be. In 1868, two African-American inmates were hanged by masked men in Coffeeville, Mississippi. Outlaw George Parrott was also strung up by a masked mob in 1881. In these years, the first fictional masked vigilante, Deadwood Dick, first appeared in print in 1877. Other fictional masked vigilantes like Lone Ranger and Batman followed suit. Who knows if the masked men of the Old West inspired such a character.

4. Spring-Heeled Jack

The United Kingdom has a very underrated and nearly forgotten influence when it comes to the creation of superheroes. They have armored helmeted knights like John Lambton who famously killed a giant dragon, masked rogues like the folklore surrounding Dick Turpin, and the novel Scarlet Pimpernel, a book about an English gentleman during the French Revolution that popularized the use of alter egos and secret identities.

However, none was as influential as the story of Spring-Heeled Jack, the tale of a winged man who can breath fire and jump really really high. People often mistaken Jack as simply being folklore. However, there has been actual sightings beginning in 1837 of Jack that inspired said folklore. In these reports, a humanoid being dressed in a cloak was seen jumping from walls and carriages. Some reports also stated that this being was 10 feet tall, and had claws that injured two young girls. Police were dispatched to find the fiend, but the latter was elusive, even being said to be bulletproof. The last sighting occurred on 1904.

The newspapers ran with the stories, turning it more and more exaggerated, depicting Jack as either a ghost, a demon, or more popularly, a gentleman with peculiar talents. As penny dreadfuls and dime novels became popular, so too were stories of Spring-Heeled Jack, now turned into some sort of Robin Hood figure who patrolled the streets and helped people. One can make an argument that these stories soon inspired the British comic book culture, from Judge Dredd to V for Vendetta.

3. Mighty Atom

Everybody knows the story of Superman. The man from Krypton, sent here to Earth as his home planet was destroyed. He was then raised by a kind farmer and his wife in the ways of an idealized American. And as he grew up, he would later discover powers that he would use to fight for truth, justice, and the American way. Of course, this story is fiction, but you’ll be surprised to know one real life person who fits the bill.

Enter Joe Greenstein, aka the Mighty Atom. Like Superman, he was also taken away from his hometown to escape anti-semitism in Poland. Although Jews at that time were considered weak by society, Joe would demolish this image by becoming the strongest strongman in history. Taking the moniker of the Mighty Atom, he would perform feats of strength while wearing his Tarzan costume, such as bending horseshoes, tying his hair onto an airplane (and preventing it from flying off), and even survived getting shot to the head. He fought crime too, once by teaching the police wrestling and jujitsu techniques, and later by fighting a whole gang of anti-semitic thugs. When he and the men were taken to court, the judge couldn’t believe his eyes after seeing an unscathed Mighty Atom and 18 injured men.

There is a possibility that the Mighty Atom might have inspired or influenced the story of Superman. His creators Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster were Jewish, and had definitely heard the story of the Mighty Atom, who was a household name in the Hebrew community at the time.

2. Joaquin Murrieta

Another more influential historical superhero sprang in the West; a Mexican-American who one day decided to become a Robin Hood to his fellow discriminated Latinos. Joaquin Murrieta joined the 1850s California Gold Rush to make his fortune. Although he found marginal success, a few Anglo-Americans didn’t take too kindly to his increasing prosperity. They killed his brother, raped his wife, and tortured him. Bittered and driven mad, he soon hunted down those who had wronged him. Amassing a gang, he began a reign of terror throughout California.

It was said that he donned an all-black outfit, complete with a large sombrero and a dark cloak. He also rode in a large beastly black horse. With a machete and a pistol, Murrieta and his gang waged a war against the Anglo-Americans who discriminated against them, while also robbing and butchering Chinese immigrants who got in his way, eventually leaving several people mutilated and killed. His criminal career was stopped after he was finally hunted down and shot. Although infamous during his time, Murrieta’s story was never forgotten by the Mexican-Americans. Folk stories and folk songs were created in the name of Joaquin Murrieta. His popularity remained strong by the start of the 20th century, with him becoming the prime inspiration behind the iconic character Zorro by Johnston McCulley.

1. Bald Knobbers

Let us go back to the time of the Old West and talk about another inspiration behind superheroes. One we can consider as a group of real-life Batmen. Missouri in the late 19th century was not a good place to be in for many people. Animosity due to the Civil War was still rife, bandits and renegades roamed the countryside, and if you’re a black man then you better get the hell out of dodge. At that time, the place was also filled with feuds that made the Hatfield-McCoy conflict look like a kindergarten playground fight.

In 1883, a group of Union Missourians wanted to get rid of their Confederate neighbors, and decided to do a little bushwhacking. But in order to strike fear into their enemies, they had to become the devil themselves… literally. They dressed up in white, wore capes, and put on a black kerchief or hood decorated with horns and such. They would later become known as the Bald Knobbers.

Throughout the remaining decade, these guys burned and ambushed anyone they suspected to still harbor Confederate sympathies. Houses and courtyards were set on fire, and many (even the innocents) were killed in shootouts or in cold-blood. The gang started becoming larger and larger until they existed in 5 or more counties. To call themselves superheroes are a bit off, since like the KKK, they were basically a terrorist group who used fear and intimidation. By the end of their rampage, they killed between 15-18 people.

So what do you guys think? Do these real-life superheroes blur the lines of good and evil to you? How are they similar to the characters you grew up with? Maybe someday some of them would inspire us that wearing capes, masks, and tights are not as embarrassing as you might think. Hell, they might just make us feel like badasses.

Article by Clark Irvine